I love this adorable little video of Rebecca and her cousin Makenna that I captured when the camera was recording at just the right moment. They’re so cute as they just keep on going like nothing happened!
I can’t believe how much Hannah has grown and changed over this summer! Earlier this year I had to hold her little hands as she went down a tiny 3’ slide and now look at her! She loves to go, go, go! I see a gymnastics class in our near future.
One final apple picking post for 2010.
As I was going through the pictures that we took a couple of weeks back I was reminded of just how patient Rebecca and Victoria were as they waited for Hannah to come home and how much they grew and changed into the beautiful young ladies they are today. When they first learned about Hannah they were just 6 and 7 years old respectively yet they always talked about her and asked about when she was coming home. It was a wonderful encouragement to have these 2 little cheerleaders by my side as together we waited for God to bring Hannah home.
Here is a quick photo montage of the girls as they waited with me.
2005 – I was finalizing my dossier when this picture was taken. Look how little they were! 
2006 – DTC March of 2006 and at this point my file had been logged for 6 months.
In 2006 Rebecca and Victoria also made this adorable video for Hannah after they’d created pages for her Blessings Book.
2007
2008
2009 – We had Hannah’s referral in hand and knew every bit of her beautiful pictures by heart. I would be travelling to China just weeks after this pic was taken and our day was filled with excited chatter of how next year Hannah would be with us!!! I think the girls spent over 2 hours this day oooing and ahhhing over the adorable little clothes that filled Hannah’s closet.
2010 – Hannah is here!!! The girls began talking about our annual ‘Apple Picking Sleepover’ in January of this year and we were all excited that this special day was finally here! 
I will be forever grateful for the precious friendship Rebecca and Victoria share and for the multiple blessings I have received by being their Auntie. Hannah is already in love with her older cousins and I love to see them sharing time together!
I had so many great pics and videos of Hannah’s first apple picking adventure that I wanted her to have a post all her own.
There were tears in my eyes more than once as we shared this time together! After years of hoping and dreaming Hannah is Home and this was one of the many times that I still find myself pinching myself, believing that it’s true! Hannah is here!!!
That’s All Folks!!!
Saturday was a day when dreams came true. After years of dreaming and talking about this day, Hannah was here to enjoy our annual apple picking adventure with Rebecca, Victoria and Mommy! 
We met my brother, SIL and their kiddos at our local orchard and the fun began. 
We boarded the tractor ride and headed out to the orchards.
This year the absolutely are amazing! So red and so large. Lots of yummy apples to make apple crisp and apple dumplings. Mmmm!!
The part of apple picking that makes me giggle is that we spend more time taking pictures than we do actually picking apples!
This weekend Hannah’s cousin Rebecca stayed with us for the weekend and her honourary cousin Victoria was here too. The girls have been coming over for sleepovers since they were just toddlers and now they’re almost teens. Time flies all too quickly.
This weekend they were a great help with Hannah and we absolutely loved having them come hang out with us.
They helped Hannah try on her strawberry Halloween costume
Played Ring Around the Rosie
And baked apple crisp.
We love you Bec Bec and Tor Tor! We’re so glad you were able to share the weekend with us and can’t wait for the next time!
If you know me, you know I’m not a pet person. I have nothing against pets, they’re just not for me. I’ve always lived a very busy life and have felt it’s not fair to have a pet that I have no time for.
That being said, Hannah and I came home last Thursday to find a mommy cat and her 3 kittens had taken up residence in our courtyard. I guess we’re not the only ones who realized it was a beautiful, private, quiet place to hang out. I’ve watched the mother and she makes her way in and out under the neighbour’s deck and they come up through the hole in my deck around my lilac tree and air conditioner.
I would never hurt them but I’m looking for suggestions as to how I can discourage this mother (Siamese) and her kittens from living here and encourage them to leave? I’m going to call animal control tomorrow and see what they say as I have no idea where the mother lives. I want our deck to be a safe place for Hannah to play and I’m not thinking the cat would be too willing to share it with us.
Until they find a new home, Hannah’s enjoying watching them through the screen door.
Kitten anyone???
**UPDATE**
It's now Saturday night and I think my little family has moved on to greener pastures and warm milk. I'm not a cat person so did not make any effort to get to know them.
One thing that was recommended to me was to put egg shells where the cats were entering my property. I'm lucky that the only access to my deck for the cats was up through the deck around my lilac tree. I put the egg shells there on Tuesday morning and have not seen the cat or kittens since.
Hopefully they've found a wonderful new home with a family who loves them.
My parent’s were watching my niece and nephew a few weeks back so I invited them over for supper and a swim in Hannah’s little pool. The 3 littles had a ton of fun together! Hannah and Makenna are just 4 1/2 months apart in age and have gotten to know one another really well over the past month and enjoy one another’s company.
I’m guessing at this point the neighbours (and possibly Grandpa too) weren’t nearly so excited that we’d built the deck! :o)
I had planned on letting the kids go for a swim but we ran out of time. The kiddos decided the water isn’t necessary to have fun in the pool.
I’m so thankful for Hannah’s cousins and the fun times they share together.
